Vishnu: The God of the Universe

Lord Vishnu is a part of the Hindu Holy Trinity with Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma. He is the sustainer of the universe created by Brahma.

What is the meaning of Vishnu?

His name, Vishnu, has its etymology in the Sanskrit “Vis.” It means “to be present and spread everywhere.” Thus, Vishnu is all-pervasive, the eternal component of all things in creation. He is the force that binds everything in existence together into a cohesive whole.

Hinduism often depicts Vishnu as sleeping in the cosmic ocean of milk, the Kheer Sagar. His bed is the coiled serpent, the many-headed Ananta-Sesha. It symbolizes the endless time, which has no beginning and no end. Thus, the Lord is in full control of time and all subjective realities. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a prominent Vishnu temple in India and the largest functioning house of prayer in the country, worships the Lord in this form.

How did the universe manifest from the Lord?

Even when there was nothing, Vishnu was present as dormant energy, the Nirguna Brahman state. He was floating for all eternity on the ocean of cosmic consciousness. When awareness arose spontaneously, the formless energy became the Supreme Being, the Parabrahma.

Hindus believe that when Parabrahma Vishnu was lying on Adi-Sesha in a dreamlike state, Brahma arose from his naval. As if watching a dream, Vishnu witnessed Brahma generating the universe, and the Lord thus became part of the creation. Therefore, the vision of Lord Vishnu sustains the idea or Maya of the entire corporal universe.

How did the Supreme Lord come into being?

Vishnu became the protector of the universe that substantiated through his dream. He now takes the form of Parameshwar, the Supreme Lord, to maintain the order of creation. The Bhagavad Gita attributes the Parameshwar with Viswaroopa, the universal form beyond the perceptions of humankind. It is the magnification of his essence that contains the entire cosmos. But as Ishwara or God, he is worshipped as Saguna Brahman, with shape and human attributes. Devotees can visit a Vishnu temple in India to offer prayers to the Lord in this form, standing instead of reclining.

In the erect posture, the Lord is radiant as the sun and is standing on a lotus. He has a human body with blue skin and four arms. As mentioned in the Krishna Upanishad, each arm carries an object representing the different aspects of Vishnu:

• The conch represents the sound of creation and the music of life
• The chakra or discus, representing the cosmos revolving around the Lord’s finger
• The mace that stands for strength, both spiritual and physical, which the Lord wields to protect creation
• The lotus flower is a symbol of liberation and existence of the universe

As the protector, Lord Vishnu manifests himself every time chaos and anarchy descends on the universe. His incarnations, or Avatars, deliver the pious, destroy evil, and restore righteousness. Thus, the Lord has been preserving creation and restoring the balance of good and evil through the millennia.